confer

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con·fer

(kən-fûr′)

v. con·ferred, con·fer·ring, con·fers

v.tr.

1. To bestow (an honor, for example): conferred a medal on the hero.

2. To invest with (a characteristic, for example): a carefully worded statement that conferred an aura of credibility.

v.intr.

To meet in order to deliberate together or compare views; consult: conferred with her attorney.

[Latin cōnferre : com-, com- + ferre, to bring; see bher- in Indo-European roots.]

con·fer′ment, con·fer′ral n.

con·fer′ra·ble adj.

con·fer′rer n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

confer

(kənˈfɜː)

vb, -fers, -ferring or -ferred

1. (tr; foll by on or upon) to grant or bestow (an honour, gift, etc)

2. (intr) to hold or take part in a conference or consult together

3. (tr) an obsolete word for compare

[C16: from Latin conferre to gather together, compare, from com- together + ferre to bring]

conˈferment, conˈferral n

conˈferrable adj

conˈferrer n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•fer

(kənˈfɜr)

v. -ferred, -fer•ring. v.i.

1. to consult or discuss something together; compare ideas or opinions.

v.t.

2. to bestow upon as a gift, favor, honor, etc.: to confer a degree on a graduate.

3. Obs. to compare.

[1520–30; < Latin conferre to bring together, compare, consult with]

con•fer′ra•ble, adj.

con•fer′ral, con•fer′ment, n.

con•fer′rer, n.

syn: See consult. See also give.

confer

Past participle: conferred
Gerund: conferring

Imperative
confer
confer

Present
I confer
you confer
he/she/it confers
we confer
you confer
they confer

Preterite
I conferred
you conferred
he/she/it conferred
we conferred
you conferred
they conferred

Present Continuous
I am conferring
you are conferring
he/she/it is conferring
we are conferring
you are conferring
they are conferring

Present Perfect
I have conferred
you have conferred
he/she/it has conferred
we have conferred
you have conferred
they have conferred

Past Continuous
I was conferring
you were conferring
he/she/it was conferring
we were conferring
you were conferring
they were conferring

Past Perfect
I had conferred
you had conferred
he/she/it had conferred
we had conferred
you had conferred
they had conferred

Future
I will confer
you will confer
he/she/it will confer
we will confer
you will confer
they will confer

Future Perfect
I will have conferred
you will have conferred
he/she/it will have conferred
we will have conferred
you will have conferred
they will have conferred

Future Continuous
I will be conferring
you will be conferring
he/she/it will be conferring
we will be conferring
you will be conferring
they will be conferring

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been conferring
you have been conferring
he/she/it has been conferring
we have been conferring
you have been conferring
they have been conferring

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been conferring
you will have been conferring
he/she/it will have been conferring
we will have been conferring
you will have been conferring
they will have been conferring

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been conferring
you had been conferring
he/she/it had been conferring
we had been conferring
you had been conferring
they had been conferring

Conditional
I would confer
you would confer
he/she/it would confer
we would confer
you would confer
they would confer

Past Conditional
I would have conferred
you would have conferred
he/she/it would have conferred
we would have conferred
you would have conferred
they would have conferred

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Verb	1.	confer - have a conference in order to talk something over; "We conferred about a plan of action" confab, confabulate, consult hash out, talk over, discuss - speak with others about (something); talk (something) over in detail; have a discussion; "We discussed our household budget" collogue - confer secretly
	2.	confer - present; "The university conferred a degree on its most famous former student, who never graduated"; "bestow an honor on someone" bestow award, present - give, especially as an honor or reward; "bestow honors and prizes at graduation" miter - confer a miter on (a bishop) bless - confer prosperity or happiness on graduate - confer an academic degree upon; "This school graduates 2,000 students each year"

confer

verb

1. discuss, talk, consult, deliberate, discourse, converse, parley He conferred with Hill and the others in his office.

2. grant, give, present, accord, award, hand out, bestow, vouchsafe An honorary degree was conferred on him by Newcastle University in 1976.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

confer

verb

1. To meet and exchange views to reach a decision:

advise, consult, deliberate, parley, talk.

Informal: powwow.

2. To give formally or officially:

accord, award, bestow, grant, present.

Translations

يَتَباحَثُ، يَتَشاوَرُيَمْنَح، يُنْعِم عَلى

radit seudělit

konferererådføre sigtildele

verleihen

atribuirconsultar (con)deliberar

bailler conférer donner entretenir

tanácskozik

ráîgastsæma, veita

conferire consultare discutere conferenza stampa

konferencijata»tistelefoninė sąšauka

apspriestiesdienesta pakāpi)piešķirt (goda nosaukumu

konferere rådføre seg med

posvetovati se

bahşetmekgörüşmek konuşmak vermek

协商授与

confer

[kənˈfɜːʳ]

A. VT to confer sth on sb [+ honour] → conceder or otorgar algo a algn; [+ title] → conferir or conceder algo a algn

B. VI → conferenciar, estar en consultas
to confer with sb → consultar con algn

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

confer

[kənˈfɜː^r]

vt [+ honour, status] → conférer
to confer sth on sb → conférer qch à qn

vi (= discuss) → conférer, s'entretenir
to confer with sb about sth → s'entretenir de qch avec qn

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

confer

vt (→ jdm) title, degree → verleihen; power also → übertragen

vi → sich beraten, konferieren (geh)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

confer

[kənˈfɜːʳ]

1. vt to confer sth on sb → conferire qc a qn

2. vi to confer (with sb about sth) → consultarsi (con qn su qc)

confer

(kənˈfəː) – past tense past participle conˈferred – verb

1. (often with with) to consult each other. The staff conferred (with the headmaster) about the new timetable.

2. (with on) to give (an honour) to someone. The university conferred degrees on two famous scientists.

conference (ˈkonfərəns) noun

a meeting for discussion. The conference of heart specialists was held in New York.

ˈconference call noun

a telephone conversation in which more than two people participate.

confer

v. consultar; conferenciar.

References in classic literature ?

It is Harvard which, first among New England colleges, confers an honorary degree upon a black man.

My Dear Sir: Harvard University desired to confer on you at the approaching Commencement an honorary degree; but it is our custom to confer degrees only on gentlemen who are present.

View in context

The breaking off, in the midst of that one was about to say, as if he took himself up, breeds a greater appetite in him with whom you confer, to know more.

I knew two, that were competitors for the secretary's place in Queen Elizabeth's time, and yet kept good quarter between themselves; and would confer, one with another, upon the business; and the one of them said, That to be a secretary, in the declination of a monarchy, was a ticklish thing, and that he did not affect it: the other straight caught up those words, and discoursed with divers of his friends, that he had no reason to desire to be secretary, in the declination of a monarchy.

View in context

But the constitutions of several of the States expressly declare their governors to be commanders-in-chief, as well of the army as navy; and it may well be a question, whether those of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, in particular, do not, in this instance, confer larger powers upon their respective governors, than could be claimed by a President of the United States.

View in context

He appeals to the world-famed hospitality of Athens and hints at the blessings that his coming will confer on the State.

View in context

It has become so truly an organ of the social body that by telephone we now enter into contracts, give evidence, try lawsuits, make speeches, propose marriage, confer degrees, appeal to voters, and do almost everything else that is a matter of speech.

View in context

For it is the nature of men to be bound by the benefits they confer as much as by those they receive.

View in context

An aristocracy seems most likely to confer the honours of the state on the virtuous; for virtue is the object of an aristocracy, riches of an oligarchy, and liberty of a democracy; for what is approved of by the majority will prevail in all or in each of these three different states; and that which seems good to most of those who compose the community will prevail: for what is called a state prevails in many communities, which aim at a mixture of rich and poor, riches and liberty: as for the rich, they are usually supposed to take the place of the worthy and honourable.

View in context

Prithee, friend, do not keep your knowledge to yourself; we are a large party; and any benefit which you confer upon us will be amply rewarded.

View in context

But these freaks of his guest were not much to the liking of the landlord, so he determined to cut matters short and confer upon him at once the unlucky order of knighthood before any further misadventure could occur; so, going up to him, he apologised for the rudeness which, without his knowledge, had been offered to him by these low people, who, however, had been well punished for their audacity.

View in context

I will confer upon you the head of a fox, so that you may hereafter look as bright as you really are."